


A Tail of Cold Winter Nights

by Azuwrite



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bar meet cute, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Huddling For Warmth, Mutual Pining, Shapeshifting, Sharing a Bed, SoftBoi Ben Solo, alcohol consumption, catlike prowess, not exactly a house fire, not exactly a slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 08:17:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18735169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite/pseuds/Azuwrite
Summary: Rey finally arrives at her next destination; a tavern/inn in the middle of nowhere. What she doesn’t expect is to meet and get to know a mysterious warrior in the form of Ben Solo.





	A Tail of Cold Winter Nights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [midnightbluefox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightbluefox/gifts).



> Hey! I wrote this as a part of Swolo’s gift month to the Headmistresses of TWD. 
> 
> midnightbluefox: this one’s for you. You created something amazing for so many people one year ago. You put so much work and love into that group and just know we all love and appreciate everything that you and the other headmistresses do! I tried my best to stuff all the things you like into one fic: bed sharing, mutual pining with angst, meet cute (in a fantasy au, in a cabin in the middle of nowhere?), softboi Ben, fake dating, and this is the best I could do to achieve a slow burn in probably 5 chapters haha. I also slid a LOTR reference in there, as well as shoving some cat related stuff in there (and in the title, which I’m not sure if I’m ashamed or proud of the pun honestly). Anyways, I hope you enjoy!!

[](https://ibb.co/g6MVhvY)

 

 

 

 

The bone-chilling air made it hard to breathe, the whipping swirls or winter’s wind attacking her lungs. Chattering teeth, prickled skin, and frostbitten cheeks left Rey cursing the elements. 

 

The next destination had to be just over the hill, otherwise she’d be screwed. She was low on food, freezing, running out of daylight, and she was certain she had heard the bloodthirsty howls of winter werewolves in the distance. 

 

She trekked through the thick powder, snow reaching her knees with ease. She was a mess; breathless, sweating, damp, and red-faced. She knew she had hated the cold weather, but for some reason,she took the quest anyway.  _ Look at you now.  _

 

A sudden and very soft sound fluttered by her ear, causing her to stop in place, eyes dilating with curiosity. Though the noise was faint, her ears could catch it through the echoing snow-capped hills and valleys. 

 

Murmurs. A conversation between men...then it hit her...the smell of food. Her nose twitched in anticipation as her senses were filled with the scent of freshly grilled meat and mead. She couldn’t help the water that pooled in her mouth, wiping at the corners of her upturned lips. 

 

That meant her destination was near. With a newfound sense of hope, Rey bolted up the hill in a flash, catlike reflexes and speed bringing her even closer. 

 

She finally reached the top, large clouds of air forming in the air around her as her chest heaved with excursion. When she looked down she saw a large cabin; it was an inn and it looked packed, travelers bustling drunkenly in the snow and within its walls. 

 

It seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, yet there were so many people. How was there no path? She focused in on a stone walkway just beyond the cabin; maintained steps, and lit torches along the trail, as far as the eye could see. 

 

Rey clenched her eyes shut, teeth grinding together at what she just saw.  _ There was a path _ , she thought, remembering a fork in the road she had come across at the beginning of her journey. 

 

It didn’t matter now, she had made it, and just as the sun set behind the entrancingly white mountain tops, a new chill washing over the expanse of land. With a shiver, Rey let herself slide down the hill, eager to fill her stomach and enjoy a warm bed for the night. 

 

She slowly stalked her way to the entrance, as she had never broken her habit of being overly cautious. It seemed to be the typical inn/tavern setting; men and women of every mythical and human race feasting and drinking to their heart’s content. 

 

A small group of men egged each other on at the edge of the cabin, daring the other to do stupid, yet humorous things; things that often involved pulling their pants down and sitting in the snow. It certainly gave new definition to the term ‘blue balls’.

 

With a snicker, Rey slipped through the heavy wooden door to the thundering sound of conversations, rumors, and tall tales. Quite the rambunctious bunch, and nearly every seat seemed taken. 

 

Like a sixth sense, she felt eyes on her, not something uncommon in her experience. As she took the only empty seat at the bar, she let her eyes wander attentively across the open tavern. 

 

All seemed as it should be in such a place; women sitting on laps, patrons cheering as they watched other’s arm wrestle, and men groping at women, only to be met with a solid punch to their face. 

 

But in the corner, something deep and intense caught her attention; a pair of eyes, rich with the color of honey. She felt a thrill run up her spine, nothing like what she felt when enduring Winter’s heartless grasp. 

 

She only stared for a moment, but it was long enough to paint an image in her mind. The man had to be a warrior that has seen many a battle, scars and scrapes etched into his pale flesh. His body was a wonder, well-defined with years of combat and training. His hair...Rey could almost feel her mouth begin to water again at the thought of it, an endless black mess reaching his shoulders. Though it looked disheveled, she couldn’t help but feel that it’d be soft to the touch. 

 

Swallowing hard, she raised a hand up to catch the bartender’s attention, and with a quick nod, she knew he would be over in a moment’s notice. She busied herself the best she could, tapping at the wooden surface underhand, while whistling quietly to herself. 

 

All the while, she never felt his eyes leave her. Why was he so interested in such a soaked nobody anyway? A spot cleared at her left, as well as to her right. Another pair of eyes made their way to her, but she felt uneasy under the addition. 

 

“What can I get for you traveller?” A rough voice asked suddenly, pulling Rey from her thoughts. 

 

Her eyes jolted upward to meet those of the exhausted bartender. She cleared her throat and gave a reply, “Oh...a mug of your finest mead, please. And your juiciest steak as well.” With a lopsided smile and nod, the bartender went to work, leaving Rey alone once again. 

 

As the bartender returned with a mug of mead, somebody took the seat on the left. The uneasiness in Rey’s gut intensified as the man next to her continued to stare, undeterred by how creepy it was. She tried her best to ignore him, lifting the beverage to her lips and swallowing some of the contents, thankful for the warmth that spread through her throat, chest, and stomach. 

 

“Now, what’s a pretty little thing like you doing all the way out here?” The man asked next to her, charisma oozing through each word spoken. 

 

Rey couldn’t help the instinctive reaction of her eyebrows flying upward, finally looking at the man with an incredulous look. The man was handsome, sure enough, but extremely arrogant and overconfident due to the fact. He wore a crooked grin, white teeth shining at her through roguish facial hair. His hair was wavy and stroked back from his face, white shirt unbuttoned a little  _ too  _ low, showing off defined pecs and chest hair. 

 

Her nose crinkled before a scoff slipped her lips. Turning forward in her seat, she returned to sipping at her well-deserved drink. “Not exactly something I’m willing to share with a complete stranger.”

 

The man chuckled at her response, leaning even closer still. “Oh, I love a lady with a fighting spirit!” He continued to move forward, his lips inches from her ear. “It makes the chase all the more fun…” a pause, a warm breath of air against the side of her face, “don’t you think?”

 

Rey was mere seconds away from pummeling the guy and getting kicked out of the tavern when a large, warm hand rested on one of her shoulders. She froze in place at the contact, tingling jolts of static spreading from the touch. Before she could look up, the man to her left peered up, his carefree demeanor replaced with an animalistic readiness to fight. 

 

“Thank you for keeping my beloved company for me. I trust you treated her with the utmost respect?” A deep voice came from over Rey’s shoulder, and her heart leapt at the way those words were said. 

 

Her eyes traveled from the hand on her shoulder, up to the very man who had been watching her since he entered. It almost felt unfair that he would have a voice like that, given the way all of his features already made her insides melt. 

 

Her eyes shot back to the other man, awaiting a response. She watched as he contemplated his next move, clearly unsure whether or not he should believe what the towering man had said. After a moment of sizing up his potential rival, his bravado faltered, a forced grin spreading across his lips. 

 

“Certainly! Quite a beautiful maiden you have, you’re a lucky man.” 

 

“Ah, that I am.” The man with the entrancing voice pulled her further into him, her shoulder huddled against his hard, yet comforting, chest. 

 

The other man’s eyes roved over them, a hint of disdain within. “You do make a dashing couple,” he gave his weightless compliment. “I should be heading back to my men. Blessed night.” 

 

Rey’s ‘beloved’ sat in the seat to her right, nodding his head in farewell, “Blessed night.” Then the man was gone, disappearing into the rambunctious crowd. 

 

She peered over her shoulder one last time before speaking to the man next to her, “Many thanks.”

 

“You are very welcome. A woman should be allowed to enjoy a meal and drink without being bothered,” his voice still managed to send tricklings of warmth throughout her body; or perhaps that was the mead?

 

His arm remained wrapped around her shoulders, though she didn’t find herself minding. “Mind if I join you, my lady?” The man asked, pulling his arm slowly, and almost reluctantly, away from her. 

 

_ My lady? _ The words brought a slight blush to her face. Rey certainly wasn’t a lady, only a nobody from a distant forgotten land. She was far from home; an ocean, five villages, two strongholds, a mountain range, and an enchanted forest away, to be exact. 

 

“Please. Can’t leave your beloved without company,” she teased, finishing off her drink with a playful smile. 

 

It was his turn now for his cheeks to grow pink. She saw through the intimidating exterior, right through to the soft inside this man clearly had. He nervously cleared his throat before waving down the bartender, ordering them both a round of drinks. 

 

“On me, my lady,” his mouth fumbled in uncertainty as he spoke. 

 

Rey couldn’t help the way her smile grew more with every thing that he said or did, she swore her cheeks would be sore in the morning. 

 

“Rey,” she replied. “My name.” She stuck her hand out, prepared to take his hand in greeting. 

 

He looked momentarily speechless before taking her hand gently in his. Her senses were on overload at that moment; their eyes locked in an intense dance, fueled by something unspoken, the scent of him was natural and she wished never to forget it, her heartbeat thrummed frantically within her ears, and the touch of his skin upon hers sent a hungry desire throughout her entire body, the connection between them clear and unshakable. 

 

There was no doubt in her mind that he had felt it too, his eyes lit with the same unfamiliar  _ need _ . A need to know someone, to be in their presence, to physically touch them. 

 

With the intensity still in his eyes, the man lifted her hand to his lips, full and soft, pressed softly to the top. “My lady, Rey.”

 

She giggled, knowing there was no helping his new title for her. “And what may I call you, good sir?”

 

He pulled his hand away from hers quickly and suddenly in a shock, leaving an unfortunate coldness behind. He then shoved it through his hair, anxiously pulling it out of his face. “You must think me terribly rude! Ben, that is my name, my lady.”

 

“Ben, it'll please you to know that I find you to be the furthest thing from rude.” She grinned brightly, taking a drink from her mug. “You’re quite the noble man.”

 

Ben’s face went to a darker shade of pink than the previous one. “T-thank you, my lady. It indeed pleases me.”

 

Rey smiles in response, lifting her mug to him. “Now, let us drink!”

 

Ben lifts his in agreement, a crooked smile forming as his mug bounces off hers. “Gladly.”

 

The two drink merrily, making small talk as the alcohol warms their bodies. Just as one conversation came to an end, both barking in laughter, tears in their eyes, the scent of well-seasoned steak filled Rey’s senses. 

 

Mouth watering, Rey squealed with joy. “Oh! My food is ready!” She looked around in excitement, not a single plate yet in sight. 

 

Ben looked about in confusion, taking notice of just how far away the kitchen was. A servant girl walked through the kitchen doors, giant plate of steak in hand as she made her way to the bar.

 

“The ‘juiciest steak’?” The woman teased as she placed the plate in front of Rey, smiling happily. 

 

Rey nodded her head excitedly, all the confirmation the servant girl needed to leave them to their business. As soon as she could, she was stuffing the steak into her mouth, eating with the grace of an orc tribe that haven’t eaten in three stinkin’ days, not bothering to cut the meat into smaller portions. 

 

A gentle smile pulled at Ben’s lips, resting his chin within his hands as certain things were making sense in his mind. 

 

“So...you’re a shapeshifter?”

 

Rey froze in her feasting frenzy, taken aback by how sudden the question came to be asked. Had she been that obvious? Mouth still packed with meat, Rey turned to look at Ben, word needn’t be spoken as her expression said it all. 

 

“You knew your food was coming well before it exited the kitchen. I assume you could smell it. Tell me, what kind?” 

 

As surprised as she was, she found his curiosity endearing, his attention focused and ready to hear what she had to say.

 

“Feline,” she answered, but she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease him, “Is that a problem?”

 

Then came the flustered panic she had already come to love. Ben fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, his teeth working at the skin within his mouth as he shook his head frantically. 

 

“What?! N-no! Of course not, my lady!”

 

A mischievous grin slid onto Rey’s face and she watched with satisfaction as realization washed over Ben’s flushed expression. He shook his head in relief, as well as exhaustion, at her little games. 

 

“It can’t be helped! I love teasing you.”

 

“I don’t!” He replied playfully, but honestly. 

 

Rey went back to devouring her meal, Ben watching in amusement and amazement at the speed in which she ate. Unlike anyone he’s met before, she finished the whole steak in a disturbingly small amount of time. 

 

“Must have been hungry,” he chuckled, and unexpectedly, the air around them grew a slight tension. 

 

Rey quirked a weak smile before speaking, “I lost one of my lives from starvation. Since then, I always seem to eat as much as my body can handle.”

 

Ben’s shoulders tensed in a panic once again, but they came down suddenly, an understanding sadness taking over instead. “I-I’m sorry.”

 

Rey flung her hand in the air at him carelessly, a comforting smile on her face. “Don’t fret over it. It was a long time ago. Sometimes you just have to let the past die.”

 

Ben nodded in understanding, maybe more so than she could even imagine. He would leave the conversation there, not wishing to pry. 

 

The evening went on and the conversation lightened again, the pair fully enjoying the other’s company. They both unfortunately knew that the night would have to come to a close, if they hoped to get rest for their journeys ahead. Ben walked her to the check-in counter, waiting as she tried to book a room. 

 

The lady behind the counter gave her an uneasy smile as she delivered the bad news, “I apologize. We are fully booked and don’t have another room available tonight.”

 

Rey gave the woman a reassuring smile as she backed away. “I understand. Thank you.”

 

“You could take my room,” Ben offered, pulling the room key from his pocket. 

 

Rey looked at him, completely flabbergasted at the idea. “Ben! No! I won’t be taking your room.” Rey smiled sweetly, appreciating the kind gesture, closing his hand around the keys and pushing it back toward his chest. “But thank you. I appreciate the kind offer.”

 

Just as Ben nodded in understanding, a familiar, and not in a good way, voice spoke out, “I don’t understand. Why don’t you just share a room?”

 

Rey and Ben looked for the one who made the suggestion, both grunting in displeasure as the man from earlier joined them. The air of arrogance was unmistakable as he crossed his arms across his chest, eyeing them like he caught them in a lie. 

 

“You two are together, aren’t you?”

 

Instinctively, Ben wrapped his arm around Rey’s waist, pulling her close. They both looked at each other with panicked expressions, hoping desperately that the other would come up with something. 

 

“Oh!” The man suddenly yelled out, covering his mouth with his hand in faux surprise.

 

Ben and Rey watched on, eyebrows raised as the man tried to garner as much attention the situation as he could, flailing his arms dramatically as he spoke at a volume not fit for general conversation. 

 

“Have you not... _ you know _ ?” The man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, onlookers watching over the pair in an unending sea of eyes. 

 

Before Rey could even think about panicking, her face flushing at the very mentioning of her sexual life, Ben took control, well, the best he could given the situation. 

 

“What my lover and I do in our chambers is entirely our business, but I shall forgive you as your suggestion is much appreciated.” Ben looked down at Rey, a comforting smile across his lips. “Shall we just share the bed tonight?”

 

Rey trusted Ben, and even though her heart was racing and her stomach was doing flips, she went along with whatever his plan was. “That sounds like a splendid idea, my dearest.”

 

“Good thing I got a room with a large bed,” Ben chuckled, playing a part for the growing crowd. 

 

Rey smacked at his chest as she wrapped her arm around his. “Oh! You know you need a large bed whether or not I’m in it. Look at you! You’re a monster!”

 

Ben’s eyes filled with something Rey had never seen before, it both scared her and thrilled her. His gaze intensified as he said, “Yes I am,” letting a low growl and smirk slip through his lips as he practically undressed her with his eyes alone. 

 

Rey swallowed hard, knowing it was all an act, but it had felt  _ so  _ real. She tried to brush it off as the couple laughed obnoxiously together, just like any other sickening couple that was completely and totally in love. 

  
They continued their fit of giggles as they climbed the stairs to  _ their _ bedroom, reveling in the glares the other man threw their way. As good as it felt, Rey couldn’t help the panic rising within. was she really going to be sleeping with this man? A man she had only met that night

**Author's Note:**

> How’d it go? Was it okay? Haha let me know what you think! Can’t wait to share this story in its entirety with everyone <3
> 
> A special thank you to my beta, LoveofEscapism! She is always so helpful, sweet, and more than willing to throw ideas back and forth with you. Thank you so much <3


End file.
